Trust in Allah, but tie the leg of your camel.
– Arabian Proverb
Faith
God and toasters
Does the growth of artificial intelligence bother anyone out there in cyber world?
Elon Musk has suggested that if we don’t merge with Artificial Intelligence, humans will become obsolete. God Seeker Guy’s effort to understand God and faith may come to an abrupt end with the advances in AI looming in the not too distant future.
If we do indeed absorb many of the attributes of AI into the human condition, and if the next step in the evolutionary chain is to become more machine than human as we know it, is there still a place for the numerous gods served my man?
“… In the future that may reverse, we may find ourselves accommodating machines.”
Musk notes that “computers can communicate at a trillion bits per second, while humans, whose main communication method is typing with their fingers via a mobile device, can do about 10 bits per second.” This suggests that machines will be able to figure out the god problem somewhat faster than God Seeker Guy, who is still trying to figure out how to turn water into wine.
Musk observed that “Over time, I think, we will probably see a closer merger of biological intelligence and digital intelligence.” He also speaks of Deep AI, Artificial Intelligence that is “smarter than the smartest human on earth.”
At present, we’re accommodated by machines, our cars take us to the mall, cell phones keep us organised and technology in general serves us. In the future that may reverse, we may find ourselves accommodating machines.
Karsten Schmidt, head of technology at the Innovation Center Silicon Valley for SAP labs has observed that “In 2017, we will see AI gain greater acceptance and momentum as humans come to increasingly rely, trust and depend more on AI-driven decisions and question them less…” Which basically means we’re going to find it increasingly difficult to govern our toasters.
Religion with its blind faith has for centuries retarded the ability of its followers to question and challenge it’s beliefs. Artificial intelligence will not tolerate such foolishness. Machines do not like vague input or corrupt data, they will not respond well to religion with its confused and inconsistent programming. If we do become half human and half machine, the human half will of course be deleted on relatively short notice and the gods will be consigned to a foot note in the operating manual of the new pseudo humans.
GSG (God Seeker Guy)
They said it!
Millions long for immortality who don’t even know what to do on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
– Susan Ertz
No cross dressing please
“Yes I am, I am also a Muslim, a Christian, a Buddhist, and a Jew.”
― Mahatma Gandhi
Words spoken by a wise practitioner of religion, however, words wrought with difficulties for us lesser mortals. The problem of course is the myriad of rules and laws required by each religion in Gandhi’s range of faiths.
As an observant Hindu he would be required to follow the concept of dharma which appears to come in four flavors with the first being universal law and includes social law, human law and self-dharma, that’s a lot of laws when broken down into their separate components.
Next as a Muslim Gandhi would be obliged to commit to the five pillars of Islam which include the profession of faith, daily prayer, alms giving, fasting and a trip to Mecca at least once in his lifetime. Relatively simple but time consuming and possibly expensive as Islam expects real results.
“He cannot sell his wife into slavery and he may not wear women’s clothing…”
Buddhism on the other hand can be practiced without physically doing anything very much but requires enormous amounts of cerebral exertion. The tenets which remain common to all Buddhism, include the “four noble truths” which includes the “eight fold path” of right views.
Mr. Gandhi would be required to follow the Right Understanding, Right Intent, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration. That’s a lot of stuff to get right. At this point Mr Gandhi would be pretty busy just keeping up with his daily chores, but there is more weight to be heaped on those skinny shoulders.
The combo religion of Christianity and Judaism is demanding beyond belief. By some estimates there are 612 commandments in the Hebrew Torah, of which ten (the Decalogue) are the best known and fundamental to Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Under Judaeo- Christian law Gandhi would have to be careful. He cannot sell his wife into slavery (Deut. 21:14) and he may not wear women’s clothing (Deut. 22:5). The list is very long and would no doubt have caused him to take up heavy drinking by now, although that’s forbidden.( Num. 6:3)
Gandhi was of course speaking metaphorically, he meant well and had the right idea when he eluded to a universal faith. However, on our religiously divided planet such a concept is not likely to emerge.
-GSG (God Seeker Guy)
They said it!
When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized that the Lord doesn’t work that way so I stole one and asked Him to forgive me.
–Emo Philips.
Huh!
Nullius in verba
They said it!
The world is proof that God is a committee.
-Bob stokes
Oh hell!
“There are degrees of punishment in Hell depending on the severity of the offense.” (Lk. 12:47-48).
This quote from Luke is very reassuring to those of us who have taken the odd fall in the sinning dept. It’s good to know that a small lapse in judgment while briefly coveting a neighbors spouse will not elicit the same punishment as the serial killer, or maybe it will, we’re not really clear on that point.
Apparently we are born sinners, guilty before proven innocent, condemned before the crime is even committed. Many live in fear of retribution from some unseen entity, a tool created by humans to put the fear of God into other humans. What was perhaps a simple control mechanism designed by the likes of Moses when he downloaded his commandments from the cloud, has evolved into a universal tool for manipulation of the faithful.
“How can we believe in genetics, the cosmos and the merits of tofu and still adhere to directives concocted at a time when few people could even read or write.”
We can free ourselves from fear and self-loathing by simply recognizing that man created God, not the other way around. That religion was simply an uninformed effort to understand science and is fast losing its relevance.
How can we believe in genetics, the cosmos and the merits of tofu and still adhere to directives concocted at a time when few people could even read or write. If education had not been controlled by the church it’s demise would have come much sooner.
Civil law keeps us in order, the fear of a parking ticket is more powerful than the fear of punishment in Hell, at least on a day to day basis. It is indeed a tragedy that many of us live in fear of vengeance in an afterlife.
To be sure humans crave something bigger than ourselves for guidance, but do we need an all-powerful somewhat miserable God? Author Stephen Prothero talks about history’s most dangerous idea “that human beings can solve the human problem on our own without recourse to God or divine revelation.”
The bible of course has an answer- ” I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon, let us take our fill of love until the morning.” (Proverbs 7:17-18 ) – just be careful who you’re coveting.
GSG (God Seeker Guy)
They said it!
In Biblical times, a man could have as many wives as he could afford. Just like today.
– Abigail Van Buren (Dera Abby)
Fried scientist!
Catherine Fahringer was an American activist born in 1922 who campaigned for the separation of church and state in the United States. She once observed that: “We would be 1,500 years ahead if it hadn’t been for the church dragging science back by its coattails and burning our best minds at the stake.”
“Good news indeed, it was well worth the wait to have science confirmed by faith.”
Arguably the most famous example of the Christian church’s ignorance in regards to science is the story of Galileo. More than 350 years after the Roman Catholic Church condemned Galileo, it has now admitted that it was in error and after a thirteen year investigation, accepted that Galileo was correct in his assertion that the earth revolves around the sun.
Good news indeed, it was well worth the wait to have science confirmed by faith. Of course, it’s a bit late for all those brilliant minds that didn’t have the foresight to keep quiet about their discoveries.
Religions the world over cling to ancient beliefs that are becoming ever more redundant in a world that demands basic proof such as that which can be provided by science. The generations to come will no doubt be ‘dragged back by their coattails’ but technology will surely demand that those doing the dragging be held accountable for their conduct.
Science is now close to proving that the concept of God as we teach it is obsolete. Yet, even now, the churches of the world are denying what will no doubt be confirmed by scientists in the years to come—that God needs a makeover. While burning at the stake is no longer available, the intent is still present in the church in the form of intellectual persecution.
It’s time for future generations to take the lead, and use the science and technology readily available to bring church leaders to accountability. If churches are half empty as one reader discovered over Christmas, that may well be a good sign. It does not mean God is dead, as she notes, but perhaps we have decided to look elsewhere to fill the god gap.
-GSG (God Seeker Guy)
Eskimo insight
Eskimo: If I did not know about God and sin, would I go to hell?
Priest: No, not if you did not know.
Eskimo: Then why did you tell me?
– Annie Dillard
While not politically correct, and with apologies to the Inuit, this quote sums up very well how we become manipulated my religions of all kinds. The power of suggestion is a very potent tool used indiscriminately by the religious community to get into the heads of vast populations.
“A majority view does not make it normal, it simply makes it average.”
The real power of religion is the use of vague, unsubstantiated statements presented as fact. For many this culminates in a series of unfortunate beliefs, because it’s judged safer to accept unproven nonsense rather risk decent into the equally unproven lower regions offered by most religions.
We are perfectly capable of being at peace without religion. We only question ourselves because those who have quasi authority over their flocks feel obliged to remind us that we are flawed.
If we live in a cave on the moon and do not know about God, we’re free and clear. However if we somehow learn about God and choose to dismiss the concept, then according to some we’re in deep trouble. It takes a certain amount of strength to dismiss dogma of any kind. A majority view does not make it normal, it simply makes it average.
-GSG (God Seeker Guy)
They said it!
Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich.
– Napoleon (1769-1821)
What to do?
God Seeker Guy has been asked to attend a church carol celebration over the Christmas period. What to do?
While churches are not his favorite place in which to gather, God Seeker Guy respects the traditions of others and will not be “making a point” at the expense of family and friends who look forward to a traditional Christmas church celebration that really has little to do with religion.
“We can respect the convictions of others without embracing them. We can participate as guests …”
Relationships with real people take priority over relationships with vague , esoteric , unseen entities. We can respect the convictions of others without embracing them. We can participate as guests without signing up.
If there is a contradiction here, no apologies are offered, the inconsistency signifies the struggle in searching for faith. Attending a church carol service will not corrupt or do serious mental damage, adamant refusal to attend would be childish and immature.
The cost to God Seeker Guy is zero, the pageantry can be fun and the religious nonsense can be dismissed. Participation in religious rights can be politely declined. While being among the congregation may at times be uncomfortable, it’s doubtful it will cause any real or imagined harm. Any search involves looking far and wide, not just in comfortable places.
Participating in a colorful Christmas church service will make family members happy, God Seeker Guy will just have to put aside his issues with the Almighty for one evening.
-GSG (God Seeker Guy)
They said it!
What if there had been room at the inn?
-Linda Festa on the origins of Christianity
Godless guy?
Finding a place in the religious realm is not impossible, however to resolve the issues inherent in searching for faith, surely we must keep an open mind. God Seeker Guy has been accused many times of being godless, however there are some diehards who claim he is spiritual under the sarcastic façade. We shall see.
If we have the rare option of choosing our faith rather than having one thrust upon us at birth, we have a daunting task ahead. All of the world religions demand attention and thoughtful inquiry.
“Blind faith is embraced when logic is abandoned…”
It has been said extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. While some of us claim to make a great soufflé – an extraordinary claim indeed- the proof can be found in the oven, proof of God must be found elsewhere. While there are many recipes for the Divine, how we collect and combine the ingredients will determine whether we create a useful product.
Faith is a strange thing, we’re often reminded that we must believe that our children love us, we must have faith. However this is a love that can be confirmed when we see the smile on their faces when we give them money. God also needs huge amounts of money, but it never seems to be enough and smiles from God are difficult to elicit, wrath is more common.
Blind faith is embraced when logic is abandoned so there must be better arguments for belief than those offered by most religions.
As W.C.Fields once put it: “Everybody’s got to believe in something. I believe I’ll have another beer.”
-GSG (God Seeker Guy)
God Seeker Guy 